


like leaves in the autumn

by helsinkibaby



Category: Law & Order
Genre: Episode Tag, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-29
Updated: 2013-08-29
Packaged: 2017-12-25 01:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/946967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two years later, Ed walks back into Connie's life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	like leaves in the autumn

**Author's Note:**

> Tag for the last episode.   
> For the writers choice "reunion" challenge.

Looking back on it, Connie should have known he'd be here. After all, Lupo and Bernard had done a pretty thorough job of getting anyone who'd ever worked with Anita Van Buren into the bar for her fundraiser. Still though, when she looks up and sees Ed Green - handsome as ever, big ready smile, sporting the same leather jacket she knows so well that she can conjure up the scent and feel from clear across the room - her stomach drops and her heart skips a beat. 

Michael, bless his heart, doesn't notice her reaction - then again, he never knew. Jack, on the other hand, follows her gaze, sees Ed hugging Van Buren and dropping an envelope in the jar. He doesn't say a word when he looks back to Connie but he somehow manages to shuffle around inconspicuously, putting himself in between her and Ed. A knowing smile plays around his lips as they listen to Michael talk and Connie sips her drink and tries to stop her hand from shaking. 

She manages to avoid him all night until she's making her way back from the restroom and walks right into him. He nearly spills the drink he's just got from the bar and doesn't realise it's her at first, just stutters apologies as he shakes droplets from his free hand. 

Then his eyes meet hers and he stops talking. 

His eyes meet hers and the bar stops.

 Or at least that's what it feels like. The noise around them disappears along with all of the oxygen in the room and the last two years fall away like leaves in the autumn. 

"Connie," he says when the world spins back into motion. His eyes rake her up and down almost greedily and she gives him a tight smile. "You look great."

He makes no move to hug her, kiss her cheek, even shake her hand and she feels the absence keenly. "You too," she says, injecting as much brightness as she can into the two words. Something flickers in his eyes though and she knows she hasn't fooled him. 

He always could read her. 

"How's private security going?" she asks because she wants to cover it up, get this conversation over with so she can grab her coat, grab a can and curl up on her couch with a strong shot of whiskey. Or ten. 

"Good...it's good." Ed blinks, looks over her shoulder and when she looks in the same direction, she sees Mike and Jack looking at them. Mike looks repulsed, and also like he's ready to charge in and rescue her. For Jack's part, the lines on his forehead are a little more pronounced than usual but he gives her a little nod. She's able to smile back and he must take that as confirmation she's ok, because he drags Mike back into conversation. Even if the younger man keeps looking over at her. 

When she looks back at Ed, his smile is small, with no humour, no sparkle "Still got your posse looking out for you."

The words should make her bristle, but the way he says them just makes her sad. She gestures towards Jack and Mike. "I should-" she begins but he stops her, not with any gesture, but with words. 

"I was hoping you'd be here, actually," he says and with a start, she realises he's nervous. She's never seen him like that before. "I wanted to see you." A pause, then, lower, "I've wanted to see you for a long time."

Connie grits her teeth against the tears she can feel rising in her chest. "You knew where I was," she reminds him. "I just thought prosecuting you for murder was a bit of a turn off." She's trying for bright and breezy again but misses by a mile, lands squarely on brittle and bereft. 

Which doesn't seem to bother Ed, who takes a step towards her, close enough that she can smell his cologne, and that damn leather jacket. "And I thought lying to you like I did was a deal breaker."

It should have been, Connie knows that. Just like she also knew, two years ago, that Ed was a good man and that if he was keeping something back, it was for a good reason. She'd gone against her own boss in front of a grand jury for this man after all - she hadn't done that lightly. "I just wanted you to talk to me, Ed," she tells him. "Why couldn't you trust me?" she adds in a whisper. 

Ed shakes his head, lets out a breath of air between his teeth. "I did trust you, Connie... I just knew if you found out everything I was keeping hidden... You'd never look at me the same way again."

"I would have liked the chance to make up my own mind."

Tears are horrifyingly close to the surface and she turns, trying to leave, to escape. Before she can, Ed's fingers close around her wrist; the touch is gentle enough to not hurt, but firm enough that she can't just shake it off, not without making a scene. Then the touch registers in her brain and it sparks a million memories and she knows that she's no more over him now than she was two years ago. 

She looks at his fingers, then up into his eyes and everything that she sees is mirrored there. 

They look at one another and once again the noise of the bar seems to fade into the distance. 

"Can I... can I buy you a drink? Or something?"

Ed's question is halting, hesitant. 

Connie's answer is just the same, but she's able to almost smile when she says it. "I'd like that."

His hand slides down her skin, lets their fingers lace together and Connie finds a real smile spreading across her face. Closing her fingers around his, she lets herself believe that this reunion might just be a new beginning. 


End file.
